The castle was built in the XIVc. on top of a peninsula carved out by the winding Smotrych River, forming a natural defense system for the castle. The fortress was built to protect the bridge connecting the medieval town with the mainland. The Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle was located on one of the main frontiers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The castle played a major role in the defense against the Ottoman and Tatar invasions. As example: during the 15th-17th centuries, the castle was attacked by Tatar hordes a total of 51 times.